NHL Player News

Lorentz (upper body) stayed out after the Maple Leafs' morning skate Thursday, Mark Masters of TSN reports, signaling that he'll miss the Maple Leafs' matchup against the Rangers.

Lorentz will be kept off the ice for a third consecutive matchup, which should allow Easton Cowan to remain in the lineup. However, head coach Craig Berube said after Thursday's morning skate that Lorentz was available but was being held out due to not wanting to break up a winning lineup, per Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun, which suggests that the 29-year-old is close to full health after dealing with an upper-body injury. Lorentz's next opportunity to return to action will be Saturday against Seattle.

Thompson collected two assists, one on the power play, in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Senators. He added five hits, two blocked shots and a minus-2 rating.

After helping to set up what proved to be the game-winner by Jason Zucker midway through the second period, Thompson capped his first multi-point performance of the season by feeding Jiri Kulich for an empty-netter. Thompson has a goal and three points through four games to begin the season, and he's already racked up 17 shots on net and 12 hits to his ledger.

McLeod scored two goals, one shorthanded, in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Senators.

The 26-year-old center took advantage of an Ottawa turnover to pocket a shortie in the second period that tied the game at 2-2, then McLeod snapped home an insurance tally early in the third. The goals were his first points in four games to begin the campaign, but he's been seeing a consistent shift on the second power-play unit along with his middle-six duties at even strength and spot on the penalty kill. McLeod delivered a career-high 20 goals and 53 points in 79 regular-season games in 2024-25, and that level of production seems repeatable this season.

Pinto scored his fifth goal of the season in Wednesday's 8-4 loss to the Sabres.

The 24-year-old deflected a shot between his legs and past Alex Lyon just 40 seconds into the third period, although the Senators were already in a 5-2 hole at that point. Pinto is improbably tied for the NHL lead in goals through four games, producing six points in total, but considering he set career highs in 2024-25 with 21 goals and 37 points over 70 regular-season contests, he should be expected to fall off that pace quickly. Ottawa is trying to capitalize on his hot streak, however, as Pinto saw a 5:04 TOI on the power play Wednesday, more than the likes of Tim Stutzle or Jake Sanderson.

Paupanekis scored a goal on five shots and added an assist in WHL Kelowna's 6-5 shootout loss to Victoria on Wednesday.

Paupanekis was one of two players to log a multi-point effort in their season debut for the Rockets. The 18-year-old split last year between Kelowna and Spokane, earning a total of 22 goals and 43 points in 71 regular-season outings before he was made a third-round pick of the Canadiens in June. He's more of a defensive center, so big scoring performances are unlikely to be the norm for Paupanekis even as he gets to the older end of the age range in junior hockey.

Rasmussen scored a goal on three shots, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Panthers.

Both of Rasmussen's points -- his first two of the year -- came on empty-net tallies as he helped the Red Wings knock off the defending champions. The 26-year-old has started 2025-26 in a fourth-line role, which is likely to hinder his scoring production. In addition to his two points, Rasmussen has three shots on net, four hits, four blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating through four appearances this season.

Kyrou supplied an assist in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Blackhawks.

Kyrou has a helper in each of the last two games after going without a point in the first two contests of the season. The 27-year-old winger remains in a second-line role, but with just five shots on net through four outings, he's not shooting enough. Kyrou has reached the 70-point mark in three of the last four regular seasons, and he's had no fewer than 17 power-play points in any of those years, so he should pick up the pace eventually.

Bedard logged three assists in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Blues.

Bedard helped out on goals by Lukas Reichel, Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Greene. The 20-year-old Bedard has two multi-point efforts this season, giving him two goals and four assists through five contests. He's added six shots on net, six PIM and a plus-1 rating while filling his usual spots on the top line and first power-play unit.

Greene scored a goal in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Blues.

Greene tallied at 12:21 of the third period to earn the first goal of his young NHL career. The 21-year-old has played in all five games so far, but his goal Wednesday came on his first shot of the season, and he's added three hits and a plus-1 rating. He's occupying a fourth-line role, which is likely to limit his productivity, and he may ultimately require some time with AHL Rockford to help his development.

Dickinson scored a goal on two shots and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Blues.

Dickinson has a goal and an assist over two games since returning from an upper-body injury that cost him just one contest. The 30-year-old's success since returning suggests he's not being bothered by the injury. He's in a third-line role and has accumulated six shots on net, three hits, one blocked shot and a plus-4 rating over four outings this season. Dickinson is more of a defensive center, but he's reached the 30-point mark in two of his three full seasons with the Blackhawks.